Current Affairs Today – February 28 2016

Dear Readers, We cover some important news in Current Affairs Today Section, which are not covered in Daily Detailed News, More Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exam.

• Try our Current Affairs Quiz 2016
• Try Our Current Affairs February 2016 Quiz
• Read our Current Affairs Today
• Read Our Current Affairs 2016

Click Here to Try Current Affairs February 28 Quiz 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Kerala Becomes India’s First Digital State

Kerala becomes India’s first Digital State in the country by President Pranab Mukherjee, formally at Digital Empowerment Campaign in Kozhikode.

• The state’s initiative will bridge the Country’s Digital Divide by 2020.
• Kerala having linked all villages in the state with broadband connectivity under the National Optical Fibre Network Project.

Govt to mobilise Rs 10 lakh crore investment under Sagarmala

Union Government to mobilise Rs. 10 crore investment under Ambitious Sagarmala Project, the mobilization includes 4 crore in the Infrastructure alone.This ambitious project is important as Maritime logistics is a key component in Indian Economy, Accounting 90 % Export– Import trade by Volume and 72% of Trade by Value.

• The project identified 150 projects under its belt, of the 150 projects emphasizing Ports modernization and community Development projects.

Rajasthan inks pact worth Rs 11500 crore

Rajasthan Govt has inked 51 memorandums of understanding worth Rs 11,531.21 crore with various companies. These pacts are expected to generate direct employment to over 26,000 people in the sectors of industry, agriculture, urban development & housing (UDH), mining and tourism.

• The MoUs were signed in the presence of Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje.
• During Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit, the state has signed 295 MoUs amounting to Rs 3.21 lakh crores cutting across sectors.

Kempegowda airport receives platinum certificate from CII

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru became the first in the nation to receive Green-Co platinum certificate from Confederation of Indian Industries(CII)

• This certificate is given based on the Green-Co rating system which is first of its kind to assess the environmental impact created by organizations
• It assess the organization based on the implementation of water saving projects, energy efficiency ,utilization of renewable energy, greenhouse as emission, waste management, optimizing Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and green supply chain amongst others.
• Earlier CII-silver certificate was given to BIAL in 2012

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Marathon filibuster at South Korea

In a move to oppose the anti-terrorism bill being passed in the South Korean Parliament the opposition party spoke continuously for more than 115 hours making it the longest filibuster.

• President Park Geun-hye’s office called for a parliamentary session to pass the stalled security bill ahead of the high tension with North Korea after their fourth nuclear test and test of long range missile

India approaches UN to impose sanctions on Masood Azhar

Indian permanent representative to UN, Syed Akbaruddin approached New Zealand Ambassador Gerard Jacoubus van Bohemen, the Chair of the 1267 al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee to include Masood Azhar in the list.

• India demanded that the mastermind of various terrorist attacks in India including the Mumbai attack and recent Pathankot invasion, Masood Azhar to be included in sanctions of the UN al-Qaeda committee
• India imposed sanctions on Jaish e-Mohammed in 2001, however the chief of JeM was not added in the UN sanctions list due to opposition of one of the five permanent members China to behest Pakistan
• India have submitted a new list including 11 members and one organization linked to terrorism in India to UN to impose sanctions

BANKING & FINANCE

Gold worth Rs. 3000 crores deposited under GMS

Union Government has acquired a staggering 1, 131 Kg of gold that 3014 crore under the Gold Monetisation Scheme.71 depositors were joined in the Scheme which aims to curb the black money and to bring out the gold of over 20, 000 tonnes neither traded nor monetized.

• The depositors will earn small interest of 2.5 % per annum. Initially the scheme was overcast however it started gaining depositors later on.

IDBI bank to raise 3771 crores through QIP

SEBI has given its nod to IDBI bank to raise capital of 3771 crores by issuing shares through Qualified Institutional Players.

• IDBI(Industrial Development Bank of India ) sought SEBI’s approval to raise capital by issuing equity shares
• SEBI approved to raise capital around 3771 crores through QIP model

SBI to raise capital of 15000 crores

State Bank of India got approval from its shareholders to raise capital of 15000 crores by public issue or overseas assurance of shares.

• SBI will raise capital of 15000 crores by public share or overseas issuance in next 14 months before March 2017
• This fund will be raised by including public issue, rights issue or private placement such as QIP or global depository receipt or any other mode
• This fund will be used to meet the risk norms ahead of Basel III in March 2019
• Currently the 52 week high end share is 80 and low end share is 148.30
• The market value of share is 49 per share

Points to note

• SBI Chairman– Arundhati Bhattacharya
• Government share in SBI- 59%

BUSINESS

Times Internet Partners with Investopedia

Times Internet enters into a strategic partnership with Investopedia.com to create a blend of local and international information, knowledge to grow the brand amongst the audience in India.

• com– global website known for its financial information
• Times internet-One of the largest digital network of India
• With this partnership, Investopedia will turn into the world’s largest financial education website in India
• Through this partnership, Times Internet will use the content of Investopedia and they in turn will utilize the 150 million unique users of Times internet in India

Points to note

• CRO of Investopedia- Scott miller
• Business head of Times Global Partners- Puneet Singhvi

Vedanta Ltd wins India’s first-ever auction of a gold mine

Vedanta Limited wins India’s first-ever auction of a gold mine to curb the overseas purchase of the metal that cost $36 billion last year in Chhattisgarh.

• The Company won the Auction of Baghmara Gold mine with its highest bid of 12.55 % of Indian Bureau of Mining  priced  Rs. 74712 per troy ounce  ( troy ounce = 31.1 Gram) against three bidders.
• The Mine has the reserve over 2700 kg is expected to earn more than Rupees 81.40 crores to Chhattisgarh.
• Vedanta resources is a multinational company headquartered in London.

Chhattisgarh:

• Capital: Raipur
• Chief Minister: Raman Singh
• Governor: Balramji Das Tandon

Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal penalised for selling medicines

Maharashtra Government penalises India’s major E Commerce Companies Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal which were selling medicines online without valid requisite license to sell the same.

•  In accordance with provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, the sale of drugs in the country is regulated by Food and Drug Administration of the state.
• Drugs specified in Schedule H, H1 or Schedule X are not to be sold in the absence of registered medical practitioner.

Maharashtra:

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief Minister: Davendra Fadnavis
• Governor: Vidyasagar Rao

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

PM Modi sat again as the Most Powerful Indian

Indian Express listed PM Narendra Modi as the lead of 100 most powerful Indians 2016 (IE 100).

• Modi’s PMO is the most powerful since Indira Gandhi’s. He has a say on everything.

TripAdvisor: 3 Indian beaches named among Asia’s top 10

In the recently released survey by travel website TripAdvisor, three Indian beaches have been listed in the top 10 “Asia’s Travellers Choice Award Winning Beaches”.

• Goan beaches Agonda and Palolem & Radhanagar on the Havelock Island in the Andaman have made their mark in the top 10 beaches in Asia favoured by travellers.
• On the other hand, Grace Bay beach in Caribbean has topped as the world’s number one traveller’s choice beach, followed by Baia do Sancho beach in Braziland Playa Paraiso beach in Cuba.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Dinesh Sharma designated as the Chairperson of Governing Council of IFAD, Rome

Additional Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs, Dinesh Sharma has been accredited as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Rome. He is elected for a period of two years.

• The decision in this regard has been taken during the 39^th session of the governing council held in Rome, Italy.
• Prior to the designation of chairman he was serving as the India’s Governor to the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).

VinodRai appointed first Chairman of Banks Board Bureau

Banks Board Bureau all set to have its first Chairman VinodRai, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the appointment.Former Controller of Audit General and Padma award winner will head the Body as its Chairman the other appointee’s namely

1. N Sinor (Former ICICI Bank’s Former Joint Director)
2. Anil Khandelwal (Former Chief of Bank of Baroda)
3. RupaKudwa (Chief of CRISIL).

Ashwini Nangia becomes Director of CSIR-National Chemical Lab, Pune

Ashwini Nangia has been appointed as Director of CSIR- National Chemical lab, Pune.

• He has made contribution to the new field of cocrystals and its applications to the pharmaceutical industries.
• Presently he is serving School of Chemistry at the University of Hyderabad, having joined in the university in 1989.

The National Chemical Laboratory established in 1950, is runs under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, It is a well Known institute internationally for its excellence in scientific research in chemistry and chemical engineering.

Ajay Kumar Sharma accredited as the ambassador of Republic of Mauritania

Ajay kumar Sharma currently the Indian ambassador to the Republic of Mali has been concurrently accredited to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania .

• Ajay Kumar Sharma was appointed as the ambassador of Mali in January,2016
• He joined the Ministry of External Affairs in 1981
• He has been a diplomat of Kabul in 1989
• His other diplomat assignments include Seoul and UN
• He has worked under Ministry of external affairs as Under Secretary in New Delhi in 1999

Tsewang Namgyal accredited as the ambassador of republic of Haiti

Tsewang Namgyal presently the Ambassador of Cuba is concurrently accredited as the Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti

• Namgyal is an IFS officer of 1992 batch
• He was appointed as the Ambassador of Cuba in November of 2015
• Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of India, Ottawa, Canada.
• His other postings include Third Secretary, Embassy of India, Cairo (1994–96); Second Secretary/First Secretary, Embassy of India, Tunis (1996-2000); First Secretary, Embassy of India, Brussels (2000-03), Counselor, Embassy of India, Manila(2005-08) and Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of India, Singapore (2008-13)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Scientists create energy efficient bio supercomputer

Scientists at McGill University created an energy efficient model Biological Super computer that can process the information using very little energy.

• The model Bio- Supercomputer much smaller than in size and uses very little energy and living cells protein to its function compared to the current supercomputer.
• The bio- Supercomputer looks like a road map of busy city, and to have a chip size of 1.5 cm square in which channels have been etched.
• The next Generation computers of its kind will use energy from Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) that provides energy to the Living organisms.

Super Computer:

Param 8000 is India’s First Super Computer build in 1990 by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing.

ENVIRONMENT

Government comes out with draft norms for Euro VI emission standard 

After having decided to move up directly to Euro VI emission norms for petrol and diesel from April 1, 2020, the government has come out with draft rules on emission standards for various categories of vehicles. Government will sought suggestions or objections, if any, within a month.

• These rules may be called the Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2016 as the draft of certain rules aims at amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

About Bharat stage (BS) norms

BS norms are emission standards decided by the government to regulate the amount of air pollutants from vehicles. They were adopted in line with European regulation standard ‘Euro norms’ in 2000.

• Currently there are 4 standards of Bharat stage (BS) norms have been issued by government with prescribed limit on the release of pollutants.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Science day – February 28

National Science day is celebrated on February 28, every year to commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V.Raman in 1928.National council for science technology and communication asked the government to designate February 28 as science day in 1986.Since then this day has been celebrated in every school, college, science organizations all over India.

• 2016 Theme – Scientific issues for Development of the Nation